


Don't come free

by woodsong_1978 (Vae)



Category: Firefly
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-07
Updated: 2013-04-07
Packaged: 2017-12-07 18:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/751768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vae/pseuds/woodsong_1978
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inara's been keeping secrets. Mal gets three wishes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Don't come free

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my [](http://au-abc.livejournal.com/profile)[**au_abc**](http://au-abc.livejournal.com/) [table](http://woodsong-1978.livejournal.com/14415.html#cutid1) (scroll down), which means this is AU. Erm, slightly. It's not that sort of fantasy, either - I still have smutters-block. Xiexie to [](http://lvs2read.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://lvs2read.livejournal.com/)**lvs2read** for the speedy beta.

"Cap'n? You seen 'Nara about?"

Mal set his rifle back on the table and looked up into Kaylee's worried face, cleaning rag still in his hand. "Can't say I have, Kaylee. You lost her?"

"Ain't seen her all day. Tried her shuttle, too, but if she's there, she ain't answering."

The captain ignored the mute appeal in the girl's eyes. "Most like she's hiding away, meditating or some such. Don't you fret none. It's coming up on dinner time, she'll show her face then."

Obviously unconvinced, Kaylee nodded and disconsolately wandered off. Mal spared a moment to speculate on whether she was going to find the doctor, or if the doctor had upset her again, and that was why she was searching for the Companion. Kaylee had been carrying a torch for Simon Tam ever since he'd set foot on Serenity. The doctor, for his part, treated her with unfailingly friendly courtesy, except for occasional clumsy attempts at flirtation. No one else on the crew had the heart to tell Kaylee she didn't stand a chance. You only had to spend half an hour with Simon to know Kaylee was the wrong sex for him to be seriously interested in bedding her.

Firmly turning his thoughts away from his handsome young doctor, Mal returned to cleaning his guns. 

***

Inara didn't show up for dinner. No one saw her all evening, and she wasn't at breakfast the next day. By mid-morning, the captain found himself facing a delegation consisting of Kaylee, the doctor, the preacher, the pilot, and Zoë. Mal took one look at Zoë's resolute expression and surrendered.

"Wash, her shuttle's still docked, right?"

The pilot nodded.

"Zao gao. Okay, people, split up. I want every inch of this ship searched. Wash, Zoë, you take in here, the bridge, the crew rooms an' the storage areas. Kaylee, Shepherd, the engine room, passenger quarters and cargo bay. Doc, you and I are gonna check the infirmary and shuttle two. Everyone back here in two hours to report. Anyone finds her before then, holler out."

Book and Kaylee were heading out almost before he finished speaking. Zoë pulled her husband back from checking the tiny kitchen cupboards and led him out in the other direction, towards the bridge. Satisfied the search was underway, the captain turned back to his medic, who was standing still, a small frown wrinkling his smooth forehead.

"I'm not sure this will be effective, Captain. If she's not been seen for thirty-six hours, shouldn't we start by checking _her_ shuttle?"

"Just ruling out some of the possibilities, Doc. The woman's prickly regarding her gorramn privacy. Don't wanna go barging in without a damn good reason." Mal paused, remembering the last time Inara had decided he'd invaded her precious privacy. "Where's your sister?"

Simon hesitated before replying, as he always did. Mal had found the habit irritating at first, but lately it hadn't bothered him so much. "She's not having a good day. Last time I saw her, she was in the cargo bay watching Jayne lift weights, muttering something about tensile strength and brain power to muscle power ratios."

"Long as she don't provoke him into trying to fight her again. Those two ain't evenly matched in either department, not by a fair way."

"No," Simon agreed thoughtfully, and led the way down to the infirmary.

***

Two hours later, the entire crew, excluding Inara but including River and Jayne, reconvened in the dining area.

"No one?" Mal asked, hopefully. "Ain't one of you seen some sight of her?"

Heads shook all around the table, and Mal's shoulders slumped. "River? You got any light to shed on this?"

The deceptively fragile girl turned her unsettling gaze onto him. "Enslaved and imprisoned," she pronounced solemnly.

"She's locked in? Why ain't she used the comm. to let us know?" Mal pushed his chair back, heading for Inara's shuttle. "Fool woman's gonna die with her pride wrapped 'round her one day."

"Imprisoned," River insisted desperately to his departing back. "You have to help her!"

Simon reached out in an attempt to calm her. "Shh, River. It's okay. The captain's going to get her out."

"Not him." She went limp in her brother's arms. "You need to help her, Simon."

"She's hurt? Sick?"

" _No_ , Simon." River glared at him. "Needs you to show him."

Puzzled, Simon looked around at their audience. Most faces were blank. 

"Go on, son," Book urged. "She's never been wrong before. If River says you're needed, you'd better go."

***

Mal had just reached Inara's shuttle when the doctor caught up to him, med-kit in hand.

"We thought ... River ..." Simon visibly pulled himself together. "If Inara's not been in touch, she could be sick, or injured."

Mal considered that for a moment. "Could be. Conjure you'd best go first, then."

The captain stood back and watched as Simon stepped up to the door, knocking firmly. "Inara? Inara, it's Simon. Open the door, please, Inara. We're worried about you."

No response. The doctor knocked again, louder. "Inara? Are you all right?"

Mal snorted at that, making Simon turn to look at him, blue eyes wide. "If she ain't answering, Doc, likely she's sulking. She's tough, that woman, for all her feminine wiles." He reached past the younger man and tried the handle. The door opened, swinging outwards. Smirking slightly, he walked through to Inara's shuttle, leaving Simon to follow and close the door behind them.

At first glance, the shuttle was empty. Not empty of furnishings - Inara's lush and luxurious furniture and drapes remained, and the air was still scented with the lingering remains of incense - but empty of Inara. Motioning Simon to remain behind, Mal pushed aside the drapes to the cockpit and the business section of the shuttle. Still no sign. Frowning to himself, he returned to Inara's bower. Simon had set his case down and was busily checking behind curtains. Mal grinned to see him drop one curtain rapidly, face crimson.

"Well, she ain't through there. See anythin' in here?"

"Rather more than I wanted to," Simon returned. "There are some aspects of Inara's work as a Companion that I'd rather remain ignorant of."

"Yeah, well, wouldn't we all?" Mal scanned the room, his eyes eventually falling on a small, red, opaque glass bottle sitting on the table. "Don't recall that one ..." He picked it up, turning it over in his hands.

"Be careful with that. You don't know what it might contain." Simon eyed the dusty bottle suspiciously. "I don't understand this. River said she was in here. There's no way she could have left the ship, not when we're so far from anywhere."

Mal ignored him, intrigued by the faint hints of movement of whatever was inside the bottle. Holding it in one hand, he raised his other arm to rub some of the dirt from the surface with his sleeve. There was a soft pop, and he dropped the bottle in surprise. "Ta ma de!"

It rolled on the floor, issuing a cloud of red-gold smoke. Simon moved back, one hand covering his nose and mouth. Mal choked on the smoke, eyes streaming. By the time he had wiped his eyes, the smoke had cleared. 

In its place stood Inara, wearing nothing more than red gauze trimmed with gold braid and an annoyed expression. "I am the djinn of this bottle, you are hereby granted three wishes (restrictions apply). What is your first wish, oh master? Mal, are you _ever_ going to learn to knock before barging in here?"

Mal stared. 

Simon stared.

Inara glowered. "Mal?"

"I, uh... _master_?"

She glared. "It's in the contract, all right?"

Simon cleared his throat. "Inara? Are you okay? I mean, you look a little, um ... cold."

"Contract." Inara sighed. "Sometimes I wish we could move with the times, but no, it's traditional. Why are you here? Either or both of you?"

Mal rediscovered his ability to speak. "You ain't been out for two days, Inara. Got folks to worryin' on you."

"Two days?" She sank onto her couch, looking shocked. 

"Do you often have these problems?" the doctor asked, picking up his case and crossing the room to lay the back of his hand against her forehead. "Memory gaps, blackouts..."

Inara shrugged his hand off impatiently. "It's not that, Simon. Just... time moves a little differently on the aetheric plane. I have to return every now and again."

"Wait. Go back to the part where you're a bottle of gin?" Mal pressed two fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"The djinn of the bottle," Simon corrected.

"Whatever."

"Oh. That. _You_ rubbed my bottle?"

Mal winced. "Think maybe you could find a less innuendo-ized way of puttin' that?"

"No," she said shortly. "Did you?"

"Guess I did."

"Oh, gou shi." Inara took a deep breath and sat upright. "You are hereby granted three wishes. What is your first wish, oh master?"

"Wishes?" Mal briefly wondered if he'd gone mad.

"Restrictions apply."

"Restrictions, huh?" Mal couldn't resist. "Guess that makes you kind of a petty djinn, don't it?"

Inara rolled her eyes. "The correct term is suoxi."

"What restrictions?" Simon asked, quietly.

"Thank you, Simon." Inara favored him with a sweet smile. "I can't take a life or create one. I can't change the past. I can't make anyone fall in love, and I can't grant more wishes."

"Well, now." That still left a great many possibilities. Malcolm Reynolds could do a lot with three wishes, if he could only work out which three to wish. "How do I know you've on the level with this? That you ain't just stringing me along for laughs?"

Simon stared at him in disbelief. "Did you miss the part where she vanished for two days and re-appeared in a cloud of smoke? Or that she called you master? _Twice_?"

"Oh, I ain't denying there's something of the otherworld about our girl here. But wishes? Sounds like something out of a fairy story." Mal settled himself in a chair and looked across at the other two expectantly. 

"Captain, I'd like to remind you that you captain a spaceship and my sister is apparently a trained assassin and psychic. Your crew also includes a shepherd who shoots better than you can, a man who plays with toy dinosaurs and an ape who has somehow almost mastered human speech. In comparison, this really doesn't seem so far-fetched."

Mal noted idly that the doctor actually looked pretty good when he was exasperated. It brought a hint more color to his usually pale face, and the animation meant some of his hidden stubbornness was visible. "Seem to be taking all this pretty calm there, Doc. Shouldn't you be writing her out a neat little prescription for delusions or some such right about now?"

"Bi zui, the pair of you," Inara snapped, folding her arms. "Mal, if you really want to find out, there's a simple solution to this. Just try wishing for something that you won't be able to dismiss as a coincidence."

"Well, then. Reckon I wouldn't say no to a kiss." Mal waited until Inara's mouth fell open in shock, and then elaborated. "From the doc here."

"What?"

"Mal, no!"

He raised an eyebrow. "What? Think that kinda thing's likely coincidence? Or you telling me you can't grant kissing wishes, neither?"

"Of course I can, it's just ... Mal, this isn't fair on any of us. And technically, you haven't wished for anything yet."

Mal looked her straight in the eye. "I wish," he said deliberately, "that Simon Tam would come over and kiss me. Right now."

"I'm so sorry, Simon," Inara whispered, her face agonized. There was a sudden shift in the air of the room, and a fleeting scent of roses. "Your wish is my command, oh master."

Mal experienced an increasing sense of unreality as he watched the doctor walk across the shuttle towards him and lean down. "Simon? You in on this, too?"

Simon shook his head wordlessly. Somewhere in another universe, Inara gave a disgusted snort. Mal's personal universe shrank to contain only himself and Simon, and suddenly this seemed like not such a great idea. Or maybe far too good an idea. He stared up into the handsome face so close to his own, noticing the very faint shadow of stubble just beginning to grow along the determined jawline. "Simon?" he whispered again, unable to draw enough breath to speak louder. Warm lips covering his own prevented any further speech, or even thought.

Simon's mouth felt sinfully good and unexpectedly confident. When Simon's tongue gently licked across his lower lip, Mal opened to him without hesitation, drawing him in and deepening the kiss, greedy for more. Strong fingers seized his shoulders even as teeth clashed, and Mal reached out, hungrily pulling Simon close against him. Simon made a frustrated sound and pushed forward. Mal shuddered with want and broke the kiss reluctantly, panting for breath. Drawing back far enough to focus, he found Simon straddling his lap and plastered so firmly against his torso that he could feel the rapid rise and fall of Simon's chest as his breathing gradually slowed to normal. 

A blur of red and gold over Simon's shoulder drew Mal's attention away from the man invitingly nestled into him. Inara's face was white with shock. 

"Ta ma de. Uh - Doc?" Then, feeling that maybe he could afford to be a little less formal with a man who had so recently been counting his teeth with his very talented tongue, "Simon?"

"Mal?" Simon's eyes fluttered open. "Mal! Captain, I, ah, why...?"

Mal sighed. "Looks like Little Miss Djinn here decided to get a mite revengeful on showin' me how she grants wishes."

"You _wished_ for me to kiss you? You actually used a wish to get me to _kiss_ you?" Simon scrambled out of the chair and away from his captain. 

Mal resisted the impulse to try and stop him. "That's about the size of it, yeah."

Simon looked horrified and left without another word. 

"I trust that satisfies you, Mal?" Inara inquired, dryly.

Satisfied definitely wasn't the word to describe the way Mal was feeling right then. "Okay, I get it, you grant wishes. Really have to take it out on Simon as well?"

"Me?" Inara set hands on her hips. "You're the one that made that wish!"

"A _kiss_ , Inara. I wished for a kiss. You could have made it a peck on the cheek rather than that, that ... " Mal trailed off as he searched for the right words to describe the soul stealing kiss he'd just shared with Simon.

"It doesn't work that way, Mal. You wished for him to kiss you. I granted that wish, as I am bound to do. You didn't specify what kind of kiss or where, which means," she held up a hand to stop his interruption, "that the details were defined by the two of you. I had nothing to do with it."

Mal digested that. "You mean...?"

"I mean that if you wanted Simon to kiss you, all you had to do was ask him. You didn't need to use a wish."

"That mean I still got three left?"

A sad expression flickered briefly over Inara's face before her usual calmness returned. "Two, Mal. Be careful with them. Wishes come true. Not free."

"Huh."

***

Over the next few days, Mal got the distinct impression that Simon was avoiding him. The doctor still showed up at meal times, but left before anyone else had finished, shadowed by River. If Mal entered a room to find Simon already in conversation with another member of the crew, the doctor would make his excuses and leave. By lunchtime on the third day, Mal was seriously considering various ways of injuring himself solely to keep Simon in the same room long enough to talk to the man. 

Just to make his cup of happiness run over and spill onto his toes, Mal found that every time he uttered the words "I wish", Inara appeared in a puff of colored smoke. It was a minor consolation that she looked as irritated to be there as he was to see her. So far, just the sight of her had been enough to choke off any wish he'd been about to voice. 

"Not free."

Mal jumped violently, looking around for the source of the voice. Eventually, he located River hanging upside down by her knees from one of the hand rails above the cargo bay, her skirts tucked primly between her thighs. "Who ain't free, little gymnast?"

River giggled, swinging herself up to lie flat on the walkway, one arm and her hair trailing down. "You. Me. Her. Him. All of us. None of us are free." She stared at him intently. "You could do it. You could free all of us."

Mal climbed the stairs and lowered himself to sit down next to her. "Gonna have to help me out some, here. How ain't we free, an' how am I supposed to do anythin' 'bout it?"

"I'm trapped because he's trapped because you're trapped by your wish. She's trapped by her contract until you finish wishing." River rose smoothly to her bare feet. "Make the right wishes and free her to free you to free him to free me."

He tipped his head back to look up at her. "Wish I could understand you, girl, 'cause that almost made sense." There was a burst of red smoke. "Aw, hell, no!"

Inara was standing next to him with a surprised expression. The scent of roses filled the cargo bay. "Your wish is my command, oh master."

And Mal understood. "Inara?"

"Yes, Mal?"

"Where's that bottle of yours hiding?"

Inara smiled, eagerness lighting her eyes. "I think Jayne took charge of it. He rather misunderstood the concept of a djinn bottle. Or possibly the spelling of it."

"Did he now?" Mal stood up. "River?"

"Captain?"

"Where's Jayne?"

She tilted her head to one side. "Tormenting Simon." She straightened, regarding him seriously. "You should stop him. He'd rather it was you. They're in the infirmary."

Mal grinned. "Well now, ain't that convenient? Inara, care to accompany me on a trip down to sick bay? I'm feeling in need of some doctoring."

***

Simon wasn't immediately apparent in the infirmary. Jayne was there, standing with his back to the entrance, intent on something in front of him. Or, as it turned out, some _one_ in front of him. 

"I don't need to prove anything to you, Jayne. Now, move. Please."

Mal stopped Inara outside the doorway and went ahead on his own. "What's needing to be proved here?"

"Nothing," Simon's clipped voice said from behind the Jayne-obstacle.

Jayne didn't move. "Heard the doc here tellin' Kaylee 'bout some dreamy kiss he'd been sharing. Thought he could show me how good it was."

"Dreamy, huh?" Mal grinned. A wordless Simon-noise of panic and annoyance was heard. "Either of 'em happen to mention who it was he was kissing?"

"I've changed my mind," Simon's voice said. "Jayne? Don't move."

"Not gonna, 'til you prove how good this kissing was."

"Jayne." Mal lost all trace of good humor. "You're gonna be wanting to move away from him now."

"Not yet, I ain't."

"Jayne? He was kissing _me_."

Jayne froze, and then backed away from the counter without turning, revealing a slightly dishevelled and highly embarrassed doctor. "Weren't aware you leaned that way, Mal?"

Mal rested his hand near his holster. "No need for you to know. Go snuggle up to Vera if you're in need of affection, 'cause I ain't planning on sharing."

"I, uh... right." Jayne went. 

"You doing okay there, Doc?"

Simon tried ineffectually to straighten his vest. "Fine."

"Shiny, 'cause I been wantin' to talk to you. Inara, why don't you go fetch that bottle from Jayne? Kinda slipped my mind to ask him." Mal took a step closer to Simon. 

Simon backed up and hit the counter again. "Actually, there was something I meant to check... some files I left in my room..."

"Later, Doc. Simon," Mal amended, closing the gap between them. "You been running from me the past two days, and I ain't in the habit of chasing after men."

Simon moved his hands back to grasp the edge of the counter. "No. No, I understand that."

"Don't think you do, Simon. It's been pointed out to me that wishing for kissing might not be the best way of getting it. So, this time, I'm asking."

Simon looked up at him, startled. "Asking what?"

Mal steeled himself. "For you to kiss me."

"Why?"

"'Cause I'm conducting a kissing survey around the crew and you're next on my list! Why'd you think?" Mal raised a hand to gently touch Simon's face. "I liked it, Simon. Liked kissing you. Liked you kissing me. Like _you_."

"I see."

"You do? Thought we could maybe ... you and I could perhaps have a ... thing." Mal stopped, pulled his hand back to run fingers through his own hair. 

"A thing?" Simon frowned, appearing totally bewildered. 

"Hell with this." Mal bent his head and did his own kissing. When Simon didn't respond, he drew back, horrified to see complete shock on Simon's face. "Ai ya, I'm as bad as Jayne! Simon, are you...I didn't...I was thinking you..."

"No! I mean, yes, I was ... " Simon took a deep breath. "Do you have any idea how long I've been wishing you'd do that?"

Mal relaxed, tension dropping from his shoulders. "'Bout two days?"

Simon shook his head. "Longer. Since about a month after you took us in. I'd pretty much decided you were never going to, but then you did the wish thing and I ... and you ..."

"Simon?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

Cool hands tugged Mal's head down again, and their mouths met. Mal discovered that Simon kissing him willingly was even better than a wished kiss. With a groan, he wrapped his arms around Simon's waist, pulling him hard up against his body. Simon made a noise halfway between a sigh and a moan, and let go of Mal's face to push himself up onto the counter so he could lock his legs around Mal's hips.

"Am I interrupting something important?"

Cursing silently, Mal lifted his head and stood back. Simon's hair was messed, his face flushed, his eyes bright and his lips slightly swollen from the kiss. He'd never looked more tempting. Mal swayed forwards, almost involuntarily.

"I can come back later."

Simon grinned at his captain and slid off the counter. The movement brought him up close to Mal again. "I think she's waiting for you to turn around."

"Oh. Right." Mal turned carefully to see Inara watching them, her mouth curved with amusement. "You got it?"

"Yes." She held up the red bottle. It was much cleaner than last time Mal had seen it. "I think Jayne's been polishing it. Either that or he's hoping for another djinn to appear."

Mal grimaced. "Ain't sure I wanna be thinking on the kinda wishing Jayne'd be doing with his own personal djinn. You ready for this, Inara?"

"Ready for what?" Simon asked as she nodded.

"You just wait and watch, Simon. Won't take long, then we can get on with that wish fulfilment." Mal took the bottle from Inara and placed it on the floor.

"Whose wishes? Yours or mine?"

Mal flicked a glance back at him and couldn't help smiling. "Play your cards right, could be both."

"Mal!"

"I'm doing it, Inara. Just recalling from the storybooks this sorta stuff can be a mite dramatic. Okay." Mal cleared his throat self-consciously, focusing on the bottle. "I wish that you are permanently free of your contract with no penalties to you or any folk on this ship."

There was a puff of smoke. 

There was a smell of roses.

Inara's clothing became more substantial. 

There was a shrill squeal. "No! No, you can't do this! I refuted the contract! I have claustrophobia! You can't _do_ this to meeeeeee!"

Simon stared. 

Mal looked at Inara. 

Inara shrugged. "She must have been next on the list."

"There's a list?"

The red-headed woman who had appeared in the infirmary glanced up, a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Well, now. Malcolm Reynolds, as I live and breathe. I should have known you'd be involved in this somehow."

"If I weren't all out of wishes, I'd be wishing you weren't," Mal returned."Uh - Inara? I'm out of wishes, right?"

"Try it," she invited.

His mind went blank. Simon stretched up to whisper something in his ear. "Well, guess it can't do no harm. I wish there was a crate of choc - of good chocolate by the door here right now."

Everybody waited. There was a distinct lack of smoke, roses or (sadly) chocolate appearing, good or bad.

"Guess that's answered that. Means I'll need to stick with the traditional methods of communicating for this, then. Oh, no you don't." Mal's hand shot out to grab the newly created djinn by the hair. "You ain't going nowhere save into that bottle."

Inara smirked, not even attempting to hide her satisfaction with the situation. "And she'll be in there in a few minutes. It's an imperative as soon as the contract comes into effect."

"Well, I'm grateful for that mercy. Don't want that treacherous, cold-hearted female on the loose on my ship. Ever." Dragging the protesting treacherous, cold-hearted female with him, the captain crossed the room to hit the comm. "Attention all crew. This is the captain. I'm needing everybody to check in. That means _now_ , people."

"Problem, sir?"

"Nothing we can't handle, Zo. Wash with you?"

"And Kaylee and River."

"Okay. Zoë, half an hour, you'll be in charge for the next cycle." Mal caught Simon's expression. "Matter of fact, best make that until we reach Beylix."

"Clear, sir."

The comm went silent. Mal drummed his fingers impatiently on the wall next to the unit. "Jayne. Jayne!"

"Yeah, Mal?"

"Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah, Mal?"

"Shiny. Shepherd with you?"

"I'm here, Captain. Is there any way I can be of assistance?"

"Not this instant, Shepherd." Hair slipped from his fingers and Mal watched as the woman dissolved into a cloud of green and silver smoke. The bottle rocked slightly, turned green, and fell over. "Second thoughts, Inara's gonna be bringing Jayne a present. Need you to make sure he ain't doing nothing dangerous with it."

"I am?" Inara mouthed silently. Mal waved her down impatiently.

"Is there something I should be aware of, Captain?"

"She'll fill you in on the details." Mal shut off the comm with a broad grin. "Got that, Inara?"

"Oh, yes." She scooped up the bottle. "I wonder what name she'll give him?"

"Don't much care, long as he keeps her occupied."

Inara nodded and left, lightly tossing the bottle in the air and catching it as she walked.

"Did you really just hand a djinn over to Jayne?" Simon asked, as if he weren't entirely convinced of the scene he'd just witnessed.

"Yep. I just handed over to Jayne one genuine, Companion-trained djinn who don't have a clue what she can and can't do. Figured they'd keep each other busy enough findin' out." Mal held his hand out to Simon, who took it and moved in close. "More important, I just gave myself three days leave. Might be interested in knowing I'm giving the ship's medic three days leave, too."

"Is that so?" Simon leaned against him and lifted his face to be kissed. Mal willingly obliged, feeling slightly dizzy when Simon eventually pulled away and rested his head on his shoulder. 

"It is so. Got a problem with that?"

"Just one."

"You do?" Mal squinted down at Simon. "What's that?"

Simon smiled wickedly and trailed one hand slowly down Mal's back. The other hand joined it as it reached his waist, and Simon cupped Mal's ass, locking their hips together. Mal swallowed at the sudden heat of the sensation and the promise in Simon's eyes. 

"It's not long enough."


End file.
